Nine Times Owen is Mostly Silent
by Angelamermaid
Summary: More Parentverse family sweetness.
1. Chapter 1

Owen slowly wakes up, barely aware of his surroundings. He hears hospital sounds before he opens his eyes. Someone shifts under him and he sits up, his heart suddenly racing.

Cristina is lying on the bed in the on call room they slept in last night. Her eyes are closed and she looks content.

He winces as the memories come back. A beautiful day full of longing and flirting, and the gentlest of caresses on her hand. And just when it seemed the day was going to end in a very passionate way ... he spotted Beth and had a panic attack. His skin flushes as he recalls the humiliation of Cristina seeing him at his worst.

She didn't run. She held him through his terror and told him it was all right. Even though they both knew that was a lie. She soothed him and found an empty on call room, and encouraged him to lie down with her. He was still feeling ashamed and part of him wanted to just go home alone or drown his sorrows at Joe's. But he couldn't turn down what she was offering.

Owen half-smiles. He'd never intended on falling asleep on her, but it just felt right. Her body was warm and comforting, and she smelled of honey. There was something soothing in the rhythm of her heartbeat. For once, he had slept well.

Cristina sleeps on, as he watches. He reflects that last night could have been worse. Beth could have seen him fall apart. She didn't even know he was in Seattle, it would have been a disaster if she'd witnessed the panic attack.

Slowly, Owen lowers himself so that he's lying beside Cristina. Now here was a woman with fortitude and strength. He was humbled that she'd given him another chance, and then stepped in to support him. They had ended the day in an intimate embrace, albeit not the kind he'd been expecting.

"Thank you," he whispers, before closing his eyes. He wills himself to forget last night, to stay in the present, next to Cristina.


	2. Chapter 2

_I hate crowds_, Owen thinks, as he navigates the wedding reception. The guests are standing around, unsure of what happens next. It's not every day when the bride and groom give their wedding to a dying woman, who has already left to return to her hospital bed.

His mouth goes dry when he sees Cristina standing by herself, looking lonely. He flashes back to the terrible events of the day, losing Jordan after trying so hard to save him.

Owen squares his shoulders and starts moving toward her. Because he can't stand by and watch her be sad and alone.

When Cristina sees him approach, surprise quickly flickers across her face before she shuts down her emotions. "Not now."

He extends a hand, desperate to make a connection, to apologize for intruding on her thoughts, for the pain he's put her through ...

"Cristina, I'm-"

"I don't need your sorry," she spits out. They stare at each other in surprise, both remembering a cold night in an alley when their passions spilled over.

"I really can't," Cristina mutters, before walking away.


	3. Chapter 3

"She's actually leaving," Cristina says to Owen, as they watch Teddy say her goodbyes at Joe's. "My mentor is moving away."

Owen says nothing, looking at the engagement ring on Cristina's hand instead. She glances up at him. "You okay?"

He nods.

"Say something." Cristina pokes him. "Remember what Dr Wyatt said, we have to keep on talking. You've said it yourself, we have to talk if we're going to make it."

Sighing, Owen turns to her. "I miss my friend, I hate that she's leaving like this."

"Then you're going to tell her that," Cristina says, firmly. She turns and waves. "Teddy!"

Teddy makes her way through the crowd.

"I know I already thanked you for mentoring me," Cristina says. "But really ... you taught me so much and I was not the most ... gracious ... of students. It meant a lot to me that you continued to teach me."

"Aw." Teddy smiles nervously.

"I want you to be happy," Owen blurts out. "We were really good friends once ... and I miss that and I sincerely want you to be happy at Columbia."

Teddy's eyes fill with tears. "I know you're achieving your dream ... getting married, having a baby ... I want you to be happy too."

He grins then, widely.

"And if anyone can balance a brilliant career with motherhood, that's you." She grasps Cristina's hands. "Because I know that you're going to make Owen change all of the diapers."


	4. Chapter 4

"Owen, I need your help," Cristina whispers as their baby whimpers, waking him up. Owen opens his eyes in the dim morning light. Cristina is holding Chloe by their bed.

"I have _got_ to take a shower and she refuses to be alone in the crib, she screams and screams," Cristina murmurs, as she rocks their ten week old daughter. "So please hold her, and you can go back to sleep after I'm done."

He grunts and sits up, then moves to a comfy chair in the corner. Cristina gently places Chloe in his arms before going to their bathroom.

Owen smiles at their baby, who looks up at him with her dark eyes. Not for the first time, he marvels at the miracle of her existence. She kicks her feet and continues to watch him.

"I think you like us," Owen whispers. "That's good, we're really fond of you."

She grabs a handful of his t-shirt. Her eyes go to her tiny fingers, which tentatively move against the fabric.

Owen tilts his head and watches Chloe. Since she was born, her priorities have been eating and sleeping and filling her diaper. Slowly, she's been expressing an interest in the world around her and he's fascinated by her development. She holds and then releases the shirt, exploring the texture, while still learning what her hands can do. He gets lost in the moment, watching her.

Cristina steps out of the bathroom, wrapped in a robe and rubbing her hair with a towel. "Aren't you two cute?"

They both turn at the sound of her voice. Chloe smiles broadly, for the very first time.

"Look at her!" Cristina points, excited. "Look at what she's doing!"

Owen pulls Chloe closer and grins. "That's the cutest smile ever!"

"I know!" Cristina drops the towel on the floor and puts her hands to her mouth, as tears fill her eyes. Owen frowns.

"Imagine if I hadn't wanted a baby," Cristina whispers. "We would have missed this. She's so _smart_." She reaches out to touch Chloe's hair.

Tenderly, Owen touches Cristina's hand. "Focus on the present."


	5. Chapter 5

Adrenaline pumping, Owen runs to the exam room. He bursts in as the doctors work on Mallory, lying limp on the table. He is only vaguely aware that someone has grabbed his arms from behind and is trying to pull him away.

"Dr Hunt, you can't be here!" Bailey snaps at him. "We're giving her a nebulizer, _get out_!"

He stares at his younger daughter, who is struggling to breathe and feebly fighting as a nurse puts a mask over her face. Wildly, he steps forward, intending to brush everyone aside, and save her himself.

"Owen, get out," Callie hisses in his ear, tugging on his arms.

Dr Kepner steps in front of him, and pushes him toward the door. He stumbles, trying not to knock Callie over as she yanks him back.

"_You will leave this room immediately_," his protegee yells at him. "Y_ou are the last person who should be in here!_"

Stunned, Owen steps backwards into the corridor. April angrily waves a finger in his face before turning back and heading toward Mallory.

"They got her," Callie says, rubbing his arm. "They know what to do for Mallory, this isn't the first time she's been here. I've spoken with Cristina and she and Chloe are on their way here."

He absently nods, his eyes watching Mallory's feet, the only part of her that he can see as the staff works on her.

"Poor little thing," Callie sighs. "She was having a great sleepover at our house and she said she used her inhalers, but I should have watched her, just to make sure ... Cristina told me how Mallory fibs about using them, thinking she's so tough ..."

Bailey steps back and gives two thumbs up to Owen and Callie. His posture starts to relax. April turns and beckons for Owen to enter.

He quickly walks over. Mallory's breathing is still labored. The staff steps back, giving him some privacy as he strokes her wild red hair.

Mallory looks up at him and her eyes fill with tears, before she coughs.

"Hey baby." Owen tenderly strokes Mallory's cheek with one finger. "You scared me."

She slowly nods, her wide eyes never leaving his.

"You're going to be okay." He continues to speak calmly to her. "Everyone is going to take care of you and you'll feel better really soon, and then you can come home."


	6. Chapter 6

Owen paces the nursery, tapping Diego on the back after a late night bottle feeding. Rain lashes against the window, with the occasional flash of lightning illuminating the room. Exhausted, he keeps patting him, waiting for the burp.

The boy finally lets out a belch against his ear. Carefully, Owen places him in the crib and prays he will finally go to sleep.

A loud thunder clap shakes the house and Diego begins to scream, destroying any hope of slumber. Owen picks him up and cradles him against his chest. The child sobs and grabs his t-shirt while Owen tries to comfort him, making shushing noises.

"Daddy?" Owen turns to see Mallory standing in the doorway, wide-eyed and frightened. Her long red hair hair hangs down the back of her nightdress and her bare toes are curled into the carpet. One shaking hand clutches her toy dog.

Owen extends his free hand and she takes it, trembling. He leads her to the master bedroom, while Diego clings to him and cries. Cristina raises her head as they enter the room. She sleepily lifts up the blankets and Mallory crawls under them to snuggle against her. Owen flops down into the chair and tries to soothe Diego.

"It's okay," he murmurs to the frightened boy. "When you're older, I'll explain about warm moist air masses moving into the upper atmosphere and causing all of this noise and electricity. Once you understand the science of thunderstorms, they're much less scary."

Terrified, Diego clings to him. Quietly, Owen reflects that this is a healthy sign of attachment in the adoption process, that Diego is seeking comfort from him.

Shyly, Chloe peeks into the room, black curls falling around her face.

"Come on in," Owen says. She smiles a little and comes over to him. He shifts and she climbs onto his lap, reaching out to squeeze one of Diego's chubby hands. Her long legs dangle as she moves around, until she's comfortably lying against him.

Yawning, Owen looks around the room at his family. Always a rock, Cristina is falling asleep, ignoring the noisy thunder. He can't see Mallory hiding under the covers, but he also doesn't hear the sounds of an asthma attack, and that satisfies him.

He glances down at Diego, whose lower lip is still trembling. But he's grabbed Chloe's hand and is curiously looking at her fingers. Chloe's eyes are drooping as she contentedly watches Diego.

_This is the life I wanted_, Owen thinks. _It's a good one._


	7. Chapter 7

Wearily, Owen carries the suitcases to the house, as Cristina unlocks the front door. They share a look.

Cristina squares her shoulders. "I swear, if Mallory threw a party while we were gone, she is never going to study in Paris!" Cristina opens the door and they quietly enter, in the dim morning light.

They tentatively look in the living room. Owen grimaces as he looks at the toys scattered all over the living room.

"Not bad," Cristina shrugs. They go upstairs.

Owen glances at the door of Chloe's bedroom, then looks away. Cristina pats his hand, before quietly opening the door to Diego's room. Their son is splayed on his back, his belly sticking out and his feet entangled in his blankets. Owen gently pulls out the blankets and covers him up.

They move to Mallory's room. She is curled up in her bed, long red hair splayed on her pillow. Cristina steps on something and hisses.

"Who's there?" Mallory sits up in a panic.

"It's us," Owen assures her, flipping on the light.

"Hunh?" She brushes the hair out of her eyes. "Mom? Dad?"

"Hi." Cristina sits next to their daughter. "I didn't mean to scare you, I'm sorry."

"Uh huh." The teen blinks, confused. "I thought you were coming home later."

"We were going to, but Alex Karev got some of his orphans onto a flight, so we flew back early to examine them." Cristina strokes Mallory's hair. "Thank you for not burning down the house."

Mallory peers at Owen, who is looking somber. "Dad?"

"He misses Chloe," Cristina says. "We set her up in her dorm room and met her roommate and her professors and toured all of Northwestern. And then she told us that she is an adult now and we could go home early to save lives. He's barely spoken since we left her."

Owen shrugs, sadly.

"It's hard to believe she's a freshman," Cristina continues, voice wavering. "She's never lived away from home before ... I mean, she's gone to camp but that was temporary ... and she's on the other side of the country now ..." Cristina looks down at the floor.

Owen sits on the bed and puts his arms around Cristina, who leans against him. He feels her hot tears on his shirt.

"I can't believe people at the hospital are scared of you two," Mallory grins sleepily. Cristina chuckles, while Owen smiles and kisses her forehead.

"I can't believe she keeps saying I'm the softie," Owen chuckles.


	8. Chapter 8

Moving as quietly as possible, Owen walks out of his bedroom and listens for Cristina's voice. He detects that she is somewhere downstairs. He peeks into Diego's old room, where a red-haired child is napping in a toddler bed. Darren Shepherd is sucking his thumb in his sleep. Carefully, Owen descends to the first floor.

Now he can hear Cristina on the phone, from her home office. "He's responding well to the medication. I'm keeping an eye on his cholesterol numbers ..."

_Barricading the kitchen and not letting me eat anything with flavor_, Owen thinks, as he tiptoes to the kitchen, his bare feet not making a sound. He opens the refrigerator and makes a face at all of the neatly packaged containers. Mallory has taken charge of his meals and pre-cooked healthy but boring dishes. He's sick of microwaved food. He's especially sick of couscous.

With quick and neat movements, he makes himself a peanut butter and jam sandwich. When he takes the first bite, Owen closes his eyes at the pleasure of something familiar and tasty.

"Gampie!"

Owen's reverie is shattered by his youngest grandchild, standing in the doorway and grinning at him. Darren beams at him, his wild red hair sticking out all over.

Owen puts his finger to his lips and shakes his head.

"Shhhh!" Darren smiles.

Owen smiles back, before taking another huge bite.

"Share?" The red-haired boy looks hopeful.

Cristina steps behind Darren and glares at her husband. "I see you, Owen Hunt."

He winks at her as he chews and swallows.

She ruffles Darren's hair. "And look at you, out of bed. You're just like your mother."

"Pwease?" The boy eyes Owen as he finishes his sandwich.

"There is nothing wrong with organic peanut butter and sugar-free jam and gluten-free bread," Owen informs Cristina. "It's good for him, and for me. I'll make him a sandwich."

She checks her watch. "Well, be quick. Mallory will be here soon with the twins."

"Yay!" The boy claps his little chubby hands.

"Now don't tell your mother I ate something not on her meal plan," Owen tells Darren. "You'd think she could make me something _tasty_ and cholesterol-free but all she cares about is the numbers on my test results. I'm fine."

Darren grins up at him, brown eyes sparkling. Owen chuckles as he pulls out the bread again.


	9. Chapter 9

Half awake, Owen can hear footsteps beside the bed. His eyes fly open. And then widen, to see Chloe standing over him in the dim light of his bedroom.

"Shhhhh." She smiles and places a finger against his lips. "I promised Mom I wouldn't wake you up, I just had to see you for myself."

Grinning, he pulls her down into a hug.

"Oh Dad," she quietly gasps. "Don't you _ever_ scare me like that again."

Owen sighs as she sits up. "Now I know what you're going to say," she tells him, softly. "I got your emails. You're going to say that I shouldn't have left India just because you had a stroke, because Derek dissolved the clot and you say that you're fine."

He smiles and nods, drinking in the sight of her.

"My work was done, my team stayed behind to pack up the clinic while I flew here," she assures him. "So don't feel guilty about any of that. We're done with travelling for a while anyways. It's baby making time."

Smiling widely, Owen pulls her down into another hug.

"_Somebody _wants to be a grandfather again," she laughs. "We're going to stay in the US for a while, we'd like our baby to be born on American soil. Maybe we'll choose Seattle."

"Chloe!" Standing in the doorway, Cristina turns on a light. "I told you not to wake him up!"

Owen looks up at his wife. "Any word on Diego?"

Cristina holds up her phone. "I've almost got him tracked down. I'll tell you the minute he finally calls home."

"After you yell at him?" Chloe teases.

"Yes." Cristina smirks at Owen. "Two out of three kids are home now. And once I'm done with Diego, he'll be too afraid to ever leave Seattle again. You must be happy."

"This is the kind of medicine I need," Owen murmurs, holding his daughter close. "She's been gone too long."

"Aw." Chloe smiles against his chest.

"I'm behaving," Owen assures Cristina. "I took a nap like you wanted, I'm taking it easy, even though Derek cleared me for normal activity."

"You'd better." Cristina smiles, watching Owen brush the curls off of Chloe's face. Now he looks as happy and healthy as he did before the stroke. She stands and watches the scene, focusing on the present.


End file.
